New figures reveal a giant leap in the number of fines handed out to motorists on a bus lane in Chiswick following changes to the layout.

The information uncovered in a Freedom of Information request shows in 2010 there were 352 tickets issued which jumped to 4,144 in 2012 and rocketed further to 11,658 in 2013 following the road changes.

Poor signage and the removal of a red painted bus lane on Chiswick High Road near Chiswick Tower have been blamed for confusing drivers and landing them with a penalty.

The number of fines has reduced in the subsequent years, but last year's total of 5,003 was still higher than the 2011 figure of 770.

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The changes to signage imposed by Hounslow council have been described as "a cynical attempt to extort money by confusing drivers."

Sarah Meagher from Twickenham , who was diagnosed with a rare cancer, metastatic merkel cell cancer, had pulled out of Gunnersbury Mews into the right hand lane to avoid a bus lane in July last year after a long stint at home battling her illness.

However she claimed the council had changed all the signs and removed the red bus lane leaving the new lane poorly marked with some of the signage hidden behind trees.

Ms Meagher who is currently appealing a fine and requested the Freedom if Information, told getwestlondon : "I pulled into the bus lane just after the bus stop before the roundabout (Chiswick) as that was where the old bus lane ended and I couldn’t see the blue sign further on saying that was where it ended, as it's behind a tree.

"I admitted I had made a mistake but they refused my mitigating circumstances which I think is unfair and unreasonable.

"In fact it is totally intransigent and I began to think that this is actually deliberate."